The firepower that James Harden will be entering the coming NBA season with is giving him some major Throwback Thursday vibes.
In an interview with Michael Pina of VICE Sports that ran on Wednesday, the All-Star guard compared the new-and-improved Houston Rockets with Chris Paul to his 2011-12 Oklahoma City Thunder team.
“Both teams are similar as far as talent and versatility, a mixture of vets and young guys. Both are very, very, very talented,” said Harden. “Now, obviously, the difference is we were younger back then, but both are good.”
It may be tough to live up to that unforgettable Thunder squad that Harden shared with the likes of Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant, and Serge Ibaka. The Thunder also made the Finals that year, bulldozing through the Western Conference and staying competitive in four of five games against the eventual champion Miami Heat (and at the height of Miami’s Big Three era no less).
But Harden is now light years ahead of the player he was back then, and the Rockets could easily be the best non-Warriors team in the West next season. Some of their other acquisitions this offseason besides CP3 (Luc Mbah a Moute, PJ Tucker, etc.) will create some essential positional and defensive versatility as well, so it’s easy to see why Harden and the rest of the team are excited for what the 2017-18 campaign holds for them.
